The payroll for the city of Boston topped out last year at a staggering $1.8 billion, with one state watchdog warning six-figure payouts need to be saved for first responders who are putting their lives on the line during the pandemic.
The 2019 payroll, posted by the city following a Herald public records request, shows about 8,000 employees earning $100,000 or more.
Out of that head count, 31 staffers recorded gross pay of $300,000 or more and another 700 workers took home $200,000 and beyond, records show. There were also two large workers’ compensation settlements in 2019 for $772,000, to a school employee, and $401,000, to a council worker.
The city’s pay — a 4.4% increase year-over-year — could tax residents as Boston and the rest of the country climb out of the coronavirus lockdown.
“Cops, firefighters and emergency medical workers are the ones who need to be taken care of,” said MassFiscal Alliance spokesman Paul Craney Wednesday. “But how many others need to make more than the mayor? A lot of employees are doing very little now.”
Mayor Martin Walsh earned $199,000 last year, records show. He did not earn any overtime.
On Monday during his press conference, Walsh said the city is not currently looking at furloughing or laying off any workers. He has also said Boston will not file for bankruptcy.
Craney said the mayor could “hope for a federal bailout” or “some type of tax increase” — an option hard-hit property owners are sure to question, he added.
“There comes a point when politicians are going to need to step up and say how they are going to reduce the budget,” Craney said, adding a drastic drop in tax revenues and crippling unemployment are already showing signs of massive stress on the economy.
Boston Municipal Research Bureau staff warned a week ago City Hall should be ready to make changes to its proposed $3.65 billion budget as the true damage from the coronavirus crisis becomes clear.
“Boston would be well-served if the Administration and City Council approach the remainder of the FY21 budget process anticipating that the current crisis could well be broader and deeper in impact — more like the Great Depression than the Great Recession — and could well demand substantially more city resources,” the nonprofit BMRB wrote.
As the Herald reported, the BMRB report notes that more than 70% of the budget is funded by property taxes, which aren’t expected to be hit hard at this point — though the assessments from this year potentially could ripple into coming years.
But the revenues from the rest of the budget, which along with state aid comes from excise taxes, the meals tax and fees, already were projected to take a hit even a month ago when the first draft of the budget was submitted.
